Bottle crate construction



April 15, 19410 D. E. PRIEST BOTTLE CRATE CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 14, 1938 Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CRATE CONSTRUCTION Application November 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,248

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to the separator bars used in bottle crates to hold the individual bottles apart from each other, and in proper position in the crate.

These bars generally extend crosswise of the crate between the top and bottom and form spaces in which the bottles are positioned. In accordance with the invention these intersecting separator bars are formed from wire or rod stock which is flattened where the bars intersect to provide for riveting or otherwise securing the bars together. Between these points of attachment the wire or rod is preferably again flattened at right angles to the other flattening to hold cushioning elements which prevent damage to the bottles.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a crate embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

With reference to the drawing, the crate embodying the invention has opposite side walls I, only one of which is shown, and opposite end walls 2, only one of which appears. Extending between opposite side walls are spaced separator bars 3 which intersect with similar separator bars 4 extending between opposite end walls. The bars 3 and 4 are spaced uniformly to receive therebetween bottles 5 and the bars are secured at their intersections as by rivets 6. At their ends the bars 3 and 4 project into slots in the side and end walls of the crate, as shown in Fig. 2, and are held therein by suitable fastening means, as for example, the tack 1.

In accordance with the present invention, the separator bars 3 and 4 are formed from round rods which are flattened at spaced points so that the rods will be flat at the points where the sepa rator bars intersect each other. portions 8 are all in the same plane in each bar and the flattened portions have openings 9 therethrough to receive the rivets B which hold the bars together.

Intermediate the flattened portions 8 of each of the separator bars the rods from which these These flattened bars are formed are again flattened, as by swaging, to form flattened portions I 0. When the separator bars are assembled these flattened portions ID are midway between the intersections of the bars and each of these portions has a slot ll, Fig. 2, through which a resilient element I2 is inserted to prevent the bottles from hitting directly against the separator bars. The flattened portions H] are all in the same plane on each of the bars and these portions are approximately at right angles to the flattened portions 8, as will be apparent.

Except for the flattened portions 8 and ill on each of the bars, the remainder of the bar is approximately circular in cross-section, since the bars have been formed from approximately round rods. The swaging or other action by which the flattening of the rod is obtained for forming the individual separator bars is found to be relatively inexpensive as compared to the cost of separator bars made from flat stock.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of separator bars for bottle crates, the steps which involve flattening a plurality of normally substantially round rods at spaced points only of their lengths with adjacent flattened points of each rod at right angles to each other and with alternate flattened points substantially in the same plane, placing the rods at right angles to each other with the alternate flattened points located at the intersections of the bars and fastening the bars together at the points of intersection with the flattened points at the intersections lying flat against each other.

2'. In the manufacture of separator bars for bottle crates, the steps which involve flattening a normally substantially round rod at uniformly spaced points only, with adjacent flattened points at right angles to each other, and forming slots in alternate flattened points to receive bottle engaging members.

3. A separator bar for bottle crates, said bar being generally circular in cross section with unifcrrnly spaced flattened sections all in the same plane for the attachment of intersecting bars thereto, and other flattened sections between and at right angles to said spaced flattened sections, said other flattened sections receiving bumper elements engageable with bottles.

DWIGHT E. PRIEST 

